Doubts had been forged on the Italian actress-director’s presence as a choose on “X Factor Italy” following a report that she paid former little one actor and musician Jimmy Bennett a $380,000 settlement after an alleged sexual encounter when he was 17. Argento has admitted the payout, which she stated was made by her former boyfriend, the late Anthony Bourdain, however denied she had intercourse with Bennett.

Sources confirmed that Sky Italia and FremantleMedia Italia have determined to drag Argento from the dwell portion of the expertise present, which begins airing on Sept. 6. There isn’t any official assertion from the present’s broadcaster or producer but.

Italian audiences will nonetheless see her on the primary seven episodes of “X Factor,” which have already been shot. These embody preliminary auditions to choose opponents for the present’s 12 last spots.

Following the allegations in opposition to Argento of sexual abuse, Sky Italia and FremantleMedia had issued an announcement saying that, if the accusations had been true, they “would don’t have any selection however to be aware of it and put an finish to the collaboration.”

A rising variety of Italians had taken to social media to demand that Argento be pulled from the present.

In line with sources, Sky Italia was in a tricky place and didn’t need to penalize the 40,000 individuals who initially attended the casting for one of many last 12 spots on the present. If that they had scrapped Argento totally, they’d have needed to begin the entire casting course of from scratch.

Argento has not commented on her removing from “X Factor.”

In an announcement final week, she denied ever having “any sexual relationship” with Bennett, who has accused her of molesting him when he was a minor. She additionally stated that Bourdain had urged her to comply with a monetary settlement to finish the Bennett’s “long-standing persecution” of her.

The accusation in opposition to her stems from an alleged encounter between her and Bennett in a California lodge room in 2013, when he was 17. (The authorized age of consent in California is 18.) As a baby actor, Bennett performed the son of Argento’s character within the film she directed, “The Coronary heart Is Deceitful Above All Issues.”